A chimney top damper fitted properly in Watergate
Your free inspection covers the fireplace, the flue top and the damper you have now.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
What a failing damper looks like in Watergate
- Leaves or nesting on the smoke shelf
- Lid that no longer closes tight
- Birds or insects coming down the flue
- Plans to leave the fireplace idle
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Planning a top sealing damper in Watergate
Plans to change the fireplace later
If you might change what burns in the fireplace, add an insert or stop using it, mention it now. A top damper suited to a wood fireplace may have to come off if the fireplace changes, especially if a gas appliance is added later.
Hearing those plans early lets us suggest a route that will not need undoing. That may mean fitting a damper now, waiting until the plans settle or choosing a simpler repair in the meantime. The estimate can set out both routes and what each would cost.
Flat-base dampers on a crown or top plate
Some top dampers have a flat base plate instead of a frame that grips the tile. That base can be bedded into a crown or set onto an existing top plate, such as the plate on a relined flue.
This style depends on the crown or plate beneath it. A cracked crown or a loose top plate gives the base nothing sound to sit on. We check the surface before proposing a flat-base damper. Any crown repair it needs is listed separately, so you can see the damper and the repair as two costs.
When we advise against a top damper
Some fireplaces are poor candidates for a top damper, and we tell you so. The usual reasons are a gas appliance in the firebox or a flue that also vents another appliance. A factory-built chimney whose maker does not allow it, or a flue top that cannot hold a frame, are others.
In those cases, we explain what else can be done, such as a throat damper repair, a cap or leaving the arrangement as it is. You receive that advice in writing. We would rather lose a sale than fit a damper that works against the fireplace.
A damper sized to the flue, not the chimney
The damper fits the flue opening, not the width of the chimney around it. A chimney can look broad from the street and still carry a modest flue, or two flues side by side. Ordering by the look of the chimney leads to the wrong size.
We measure the flue itself, including its shape and the tile wall around the opening. Where the flue sits between standard sizes, the maker may offer an adapter that suits it. The estimate records the size we measured and the part chosen to match it.
Line items on a top damper estimate
- Flue tile top condition
- Flue cleaned before the frame is set
- Lid opening and closing tested
- Seal checked from the roof
Questions to settle before a top damper
How do I open the lid before lighting a fire?
Release the handle from its bracket so the spring lifts the lid. Most designs show a clear open position at the handle. If you cannot tell that the lid is open, do not light the fire, and ask us to check it.
Should I repair the throat damper instead of adding one on top?
Sometimes that is the simpler route. A throat damper that only needs freeing or a new handle may be worth repairing. One that is warped, rusted through or missing parts may point to a top damper instead, and we price both.
What will the written record show after installation?
The damper model and material, any adapter used, how it was fixed to the flue, where the bracket sits and what happened to the old throat damper. It also lists anything we saw but did not repair.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Wood-Burning Fireplace Insert InstallationFit a wood-burning insert after assessing its host fireplace and full connection requirements.
- Chimney Flue RepairAssess repairs to damaged existing flue linings and distinguish them from a new liner installation.
- Gas Fireplace Repair and ServiceGet a model-specific gas fireplace service plan for the fault you are seeing or the maintenance your unit needs.
- Chimney Masonry RepairRepair affected chimney brickwork and joints with materials selected for the construction already in place.
- Chimney WaterproofingTreat suitable chimney masonry after checking the surface, repair needs and product requirements.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo